Refrigerator



' 1,633,225 June 21 1927' R. A. RIE-.K

REFRIGERATOR Filed March 27, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES RUDOLPH vA. RIEK, OF RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN.

BEFRIGERATOR.

Application mea March 27,-19'25. serial No. 18,853.

rlhis invention relates to refrigerators and more especially to refrigerators of that type utilizing enameled one-piece linings better known as porcelain linings.

One of the obects of the vinvention is to provide a novel form of partition between the ice tank and the side provision compartment of the refrigerator, whereby when the door of the provision compartment is opened, the interior of said compartment will present a massive, costly appearance due to the formation of rounded finishing edges at both sides of the door resulting'from the peculiar formation not only of the porcelain T lining but also of a portion of the partition.

A further object is to provide a partition for one side of the ice tank. and which partition is hollow so that a circulation of air will be set up therein, preventing water of condensation from reaching the contents of the provision compartment and also increasing the eficiency of the refrigerator by more rapidly chilling the air because of the circulation that is set up.

A further object is to provide a partition having a removable plate which can be porcelain covered and which is detachably connected in a novel4 manner to one side wall of the ice tank, thereby concealing said wall and atthe same time giving a massive and finished appearance to that side of the provision compartment nearest the ice tank. With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention residesin the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the. accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the refrigerator illustrating the appearance of the upper portion of the' side provision compartment when the door thereof is open.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a portion of the refrigerator lining and ice tank, said section being taken through the partition.

f Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thel removable partition.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates a portion of the front of the refrigerator and in the present instance a provision compartment B is located within one side portion of the refrigerator while an ice compartment C is located in the upper portion of the other side of the compartment. The lining l of the refrigerator is preferably a one-piece seamless lining, the inner surface of which is covered with white enamel. In other words the .lining isof the porcelain type. The front of the lining is open and has a continuous fiange 2 extending therearound and adapted to be fastened in any suitable manner, as by means of clips 3, to the front frame F of the refrigerator cashing. The walls and top 'of the lining merge into the flanges along curved lines so that when the doors of the provision compartment of the refrigerator are opened, the rounded portions, indicated at 4 will appear adjacent the edges lof the door openings and will give the interior of the refrigerator a massive and sanitary appearance resembling that obtained ordinarily only where solid porcelain is used in the very expensive types of refrigerator structures.

The ice chambers formed by a tank 5 suitably supported Within thevlining so as to be surrounded thereby.v This tank is ordif narily made of galvanized sheet metal and, obviously, this metal does not present an attractive appearance ordinarily when the door of the side provision compartment B is opened. This is due to the fact that all of the walls of the provision compartment have a Whitel enamely finish, whereas that wall nearest the ice chamber is'made up solely of galvanized metal and obviously de` ytracts materially from the appearance of the interior ofthe provision compartment B.

,Furthermorewhere'the sheet metal sidewall vision compartment, with a partition platef,

the exposed surface of which is preferably enameled so as to have the same finish as-.the

inner surface of the lining 1. This partition plate has its forward edge roundedlas at 7 to correspond with the rounded portion tof; the-lining 1 and from this rounded portion extends a flange 8 in which are provided an-- gularA slots 9 extending from the .edge of the flange. The lower edge ofthe partition plate canv also loe-curved laterally so as to produce a rounded finish as indicated gener-ally at 10 andthe top-of the partition plate is likewise rounded, as at 11, and ymerges into. a top portion 12 having a dependingfiange 13. A rear flange 111 is formed integral with the plate 6 and is likewise formed with angular slots 15. Studs 1G are extendedbackwardly from the frame F atpoints near the door opening O in front of the provision compartment B and additional studs 17 can be extended rearwardly from the back wall'of the ice tank 5 or can be located at any other suitable point in the back portion of the refrigerator.

To place the partition plate 6 in position, it is merely necessary to raise it so that the flange 13I can be slid over the flanged top 18 of the side wall of the ice tank 5. During this movementthe open ends of the slots 9 and 15 will engage the studs 16 and 17 respectively. lVhen the flange 13 reaches a point past the wall of the ice tank 5, the plate 6 can be lowered.l This will cause the inner end portions of the slots 9 and 15 to receive the respective studs and at the same time the flange 13 will drop into the upper portion of the tank 5 so that the partition plate will thusbe held'properly,assembled w-ith the ice tank- With the parts thus located, it will be obvious that when the side provision compartment Bis viewed from the front, it will have a symmetrical and massive appearance due to the fact that the forward portions of the side walls thereof are rounded and extend back ofthe sides ofthe door opening. This plate also prevents water ofkeondensation lfrom collecting within the provision chambeias the Yresult of ice contacting withy the ad-jacentk side Wall ofthe ice tank. Consequently 'the con-tents oftheprovision chamber cannot become damp from' waterf'ofjcondensationl Furthermoreby` provid-ing` the platey Gf a, supplemental j cool-ing is produced" between the sideJ wall" ofthe ice tank and said plate, this chamber 19 being open at the bottom as shown clearly in Fig. By providing this supplemental chamber, warm air in the lower portion of the refrigerator is free to rise within the chamber where it will be chilled lby the wall of the tank 5 and plate 6 and descend within the chainber. Thus air is more rapidly cooled withn the ref rigeratory than would be the case should it be permitted to circulate solely upwardly within the provision compartment and thence downwardly over the ice in the ice-,chambeny Blate. can be removed readily for the purpose of cleaning it simply by forcing.the'sa1ne upwardlyy so as-to disengage flangerlvfrom the w allof the:icetank andv Withdraw ythe slotted portionsv oflfthel flanges- 8 and 14: from engagement-with the studs.

What is claimedl is l; In a refrigerator the'combina'tion with a front structure having an opening -therein for a door, ofy a porcelained metal lining mounted back of saidstructure and having its front edge portions convex and visibleat the vsides of the door opening, the maximum width of the compartment between opposed sides ofthe lining being less than thewidth ofthe door opening.

2. The combination with the front structure ofA a refrigerator having an opening therein for the doory of a provision compartment, of a porcelain metal lining mounted back of-'said structure and having its front edge portionconvex and visible at'one side of said door opening, an ice tank supported within the lininga't one side of the provision compaeil'tment, a'porcelained partition plate mounted within the lining and concealing one side of the ice tank, said partition plate constituting one side wall of the provision compartment and having a convex front portion exposed at one side of the door opening, the maximum width of said provision compartment between the partit-ion plate and the side ofthe lining being less than the width of the door opening.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination with al front structure having an opening for the door of a provision compartment, of a porcelain metal lining mounted back of said structure andhaving a convex side portion exposed through the opening, an ice tank supported within the lining, a pzorcelained partition-plate supported within the lining for concealing one side of the ice tank, said partition plate having a convex front portion exposedwithin the door opening at one side, Kthe maximum width of that portion of the provision compartment between` theplate andthe Sid@ 0f thelnas bengless drenthe Width 0f the dem"Y @retina Said pla-team W110i thetank'COO-pentita to form a, Surplemental air coolingvchaniber open atfthe bottom.

4. In a refrigerator, the combination with a front structure and a lining connected to said structure, of an ice tank supported Within the lining, a partition plate having front, rear and top flanges, there being slots Within the front and rear flanges, anol means for v engagement by the slotted flanges to hold the plate assembled With Y the ice tank, the top flange of Said plate constituting means for .straddling one Wall of the ice tank, said plate and tank cooperating to form a'supplemental 10 air cooling chamber open at the bottom.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my'signature.

RUDOLPH A. RIEK. 

